The Police Log is a digest of reports filed by the Johnston Police. Either Chief Richard S. Tamburini or Deputy Chief David DeCesare has reviewed all reports.

GETTING THE BRUSH-OFF
A Seekonk man was arrested for shoplifting at the Home Depot on Stone Hill Drive on Aug. 25 and told not to come back to the store or be arrested for trespassing. Patrolman Derek Parascandolo reported that security at the store told him they saw the man select two paintbrushes and a paint comb worth a total of $41.91 from the shelves, remove them from their packaging and conceal them in his pants before attempting to leave without paying for the goods. Parascandolo said the man’s girlfriend came to the store with him but was not with him while he concealed the brushes, so she was not charged but was told she was no longer welcome in the store as well. He reported that Michael G. Murphy, 40, of 64 Fall River St. was arrested for a felony shoplifting charge in March of this year and was on probation for violating a no contact order. He was later taken to the ACI.

NOT CREDIBLE
Patrolman Derek Parascandolo was dispatched to a trucking company on Plainfield Street about an assault that was charged between an employee and his boss. He said he spoke with the employee first, who told him his boss lent him $500 to get his licensed reinstated three weeks before and that they agreed he would pay him back $100 per week because he was on such a tight budget. He said he got his check that day and saw a note attached that said $280 had been deducted to repay the loan and his boss told him that they were squared away, and that he was fired. He said they then had a verbal argument in which the employee insisted he only owed $165 but the boss told him the rest was for uniforms and other miscellaneous charges and then told him to leave the premises. He said he was walking away when his boss ran up behind him and kicked him in the back and he fell to the ground and scratched his elbow and back and also sprained his thumb. Parascandolo said the man was covered in dirt and he took pictures of the man.
He said he then spoke with the boss, who told him that there had been an ongoing problem with this particular employee, including threats from the employee, but because of recent behavior in regard to drugs and an attitude problem, he had to let him go. He said the employee got enraged when he told him he was fired and threatened to put him out of a job and close down his company but he at no time did he kick him from behind.
Parascandolo said he spoke with two other employees who told him there was an ongoing history of problems between the two men and the boss got fed up with his employee’s and his frequently borrowing money and when he kindly told him he had to go, the man became enraged and started saying, “I know all sorts of people, everyone will be leaving with no job and – will go to jail.” He said a second man told him essentially the same story but refused to give Parascandolo a signed statement. Parascandolo said he had to drop the charges because of a lack of evidence. A check of court records revealed a long history of prior arrests for both men.

DWI
Patrolman Michael Protano reported he was dispatched to the Marion Mohr Library around 5:10 p.m. on Aug. 26 for a possible drunk driver there. The caller told dispatch that an apparently drunk man opened his car door in the parking lot and a bunch of empty beer cans spilt onto the pavement. The car was seen traveling on Atwood Avenue shortly after that and was pulled over at Walgreen’s. Protano said the driver at first insisted he wasn’t driving but then admitted he had and said, “I’m sorry, I just can’t get into anymore trouble. He said the man smelled of alcohol and appeared to be intoxicated. He said he administered a field sobriety test and the driver failed it. William P. Persico, 53, of 351 Simmonsville Ave. was arrested on suspicion of DWI and taken to headquarters where he registered a .119 and a .120 blood alcohol content. He was charged with DWI and later released with summons for District Court.